The present disclosure relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to airway devices, such as tracheal tubes.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Tracheal tubes are often placed in the airway of a patient in medical situations that necessitate protection of the airway from possible obstruction or occlusion. For instance, tracheal tubes may be used in emergency situations, such as when a patient experiences cardiac or respiratory arrest. Such intubations increase a patient's risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) due to bacterial colonization of the lower respiratory airways. In healthy individuals, mucociliary clearance removes particles and microorganisms prior to respiratory infection. However, in critically ill patients, clearance mechanisms are compromised due to tracheal tube cuff inflation, and mucus accumulates around the cuff. In many instances, such critically ill patients may remain intubated for extensive periods of time, during which mucus accumulated at the bottom of the cuff may drop to the proximal trachea and ultimately infect the lungs.
Traditionally, VAP development in the lungs may be one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Accordingly, early detection of the presence of pathogens responsible for VAP may decrease morbidity and mortality in some patients. A traditional diagnosis of VAP may rely on the collection of sputum samples using invasive devices and techniques, such as a bronchoscope. Collected samples must then be sent to an offsite laboratory for culturing and analysis. Typical analysis may require a few days for results to be generated, thus leaving the patient susceptible to VAP development and other complications. For instance, pathogens may be detected in a sample that is a few days old, thus delaying necessary treatment and allowing pathogens to further multiply and develop in the patient. Accordingly, it is now recognized that there exists a need for quicker detection and analysis of pathogens responsible for VAP.